Let Me Help You
by warelander
Summary: Sometimes allowing yourself to accept help can be the most difficult thing of all. Nobody knows that better then Doppelganger Arle. Doppelganger Arle x Sig.


''No Sig, no way!''

Trying to avoid eye contact, Doppelganger Arle stomped ahead of the spacey bug lover that had accompanied her though her journey on Pwurp Island. It seemed like a good idea, he knew the phoney Arle who took her place, so it would be only a matter of time until they would cross paths, as long as she were to stick with him, but what he was suggesting to her now was simply preposterous.

''..I know it sounds hard, but...''

''Hard?!''

Violently turning around Doppel glared daggers into Sig, who himself kept his stoic expression, staring right back without any hint of buckling from what he meant. The two had gotten along well since they first encountered each other days ago, but right now the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

''You are asking me to try make peace with her! After everything she did to me!''

''But you said she acted like she didn't know you...''

Yeah that was right, to this day Doppel didn't understand it at all. Why would she act like the existence of her, the real Arle was such a surprise, as if she ? Doppel needed to pause for a bit, her expression subtly shifting to a more contemplative one. The most she knew from the other Arle was what she saw during the brief time she spend hiding, planning out her plan back in her old world and whatever Sig could tell her about his experiences with her.

It all seemed to line up with how she herself used to act before her life was ripped away from her and that really just made her even more furious. It was her life, she should have been the one to keep foiling Satan's plans, she should have been the one to get herself into crazy shenanigans with these Amitie and Ringo girls and she should have been the one that Sig would have such fond memories with.

She wanted her life back, that was all that mattered.

''Even so..'' Doppel proclaimed, her tone softening from furious to merely stern. ''Why I am I supposed to trust her? She's been living my life all this time and sure as heck made no effort to make things right.''

''...But I want to...'' In a surprising initiative Sig moved himself forward, keeping a focused look on Doppel while softly placing his red hand on her left arm. The mere contact made Doppel jump a bit, she had long forgotten what physical affection even felt like, to have his hand hold onto her in such a gentle fashion shot a warmth through her body that had long become foreign to her.

The worst part of it though was the look in his eyes. Doppel took notice of his Heterochromia and how it lend him a nice combo of red and blue eyes, that almost felt like a peaceful meeting of the brightest and most powerful flames and the purest oceans in the world.

Looking into them deeply Doppel could sense something else though, a spark in his eyes, one that, beneath his stoic exterior gave the impression of a innocent and untroubled boy, who sincerely just wanted to do the right thing. Was this what she used to express in her eyes as well? Doppel couldn't be sure of it, all she knew was that the sight of it made her heart beat at a faster rate and then she wanted to admit, it was truly something to be treasured.

''I-I know that'' She said uncharacteristically awkwardly, using her right hand to softly take his arm off of her left arm, she knew what he was trying to do, but what was even the point?

''But you don't know what it has been like for me. To be replaced. To spend centuries on my own in a void...You think it's all going to be so easy because you know this other Arle and it might all be fine for you, but who's to say people will accept me back and that I won't get stuck sealed away somewhere or something?''

It was a sincere question, fading back into the void between worlds following her defeat certainly gave her time to think about things. She couldn't defeat the other Arle, while still powerful it felt like half her magic prowess was ripped away from her in some fashion and she didn't have anywhere near the training in Puyo Puyo that everyone around her seemed to pick up on in her absence, as much as it made her grit her teeth to admit to even herself, she was at a major disadvantage.

Eying her as if to study the girl's facial expressions to get a grasp of what she was thinking, Sig formed a weak smile to be reassuring. He was completely out of his element, he wasn't the best with words, but he wanted to help her somehow. It was obvious that she was hurting and somehow, Sig felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity when close to her, as if he was standing next to Arle this entire time and he didn't feel it was just because they looked alike, safe for her red eyes and outfit.

It was that feeling that compelled Sig to press on, he may have only known her for a few days, yet somehow Doppel already felt like an old and treasured friend and he wasn't about to let a friend hanging.

Doppel only gave his smile a confused look, not sure what was going on in his head. Before she even knew it Sig had placed both of her hands in her own, keeping that smile and resuming the eye contact they had earlier, the sudden sensation within Doppel spiked up once more, freezing her in place as the boy's soft grip on her hands filled her with a confusing type of comfort.

''We can talk things out with Arle. She will listen if I'm there and I want to be there for you.''

As much as she tried, this was that very moment where Doppel could no longer hold herself on her feet, collapsing on her knees and turning her view to the ground, with Sig kneeling in front of her, while keeping her hands safely covered by his own.

Confusing, that's all it was. She hated the phoney Arle, she really did and she had grown cynical about her chances for things to go back the way they were. So why, just why did this boy make her want to reconsider? It was all hopeless, sure he was her companion for now, but who's to say that he wouldn't drop her for the other Arle despite everything he said? And yet those feelings, she wanted to take into the warmth and comfort and yet she couldn't allow herself to embrace it, for all she knew it would just get her hurt even more.

''Are you okay?'' Sig did not expect a reaction like this, he meant well and yet Doppel looked worse then ever.

''Why...?''

''Huh?'' Sig felt as Doppel snapped her hands away from his soft grip, now looking back at him with an expression that made his heart sink. She looked miserable, giving him a look that was couldn't seem to settle on angry and utterly destroyed.

''Why do you have to make things so complicated?'' Sig didn't know how to respond, none of this went as he had hoped, was he way over his head thinking he could help?

''Everyone moved on from me. They are happy with the other Arle and wouldn't want me back...''

No longer able to hold back Doppel finally allowed for the tears to start coming, she was tired of it all. ''It's all beyond salvaging and yet here you are making me feel in a way that I haven't felt in a long time...''

Clenching her fists Doppel send another glare at Sig, earning a rare flinch from the boy, yet he stayed put.

''It's pointless, so just let it be! Just do like everyone else and hate me!'' With those words Doppel leaned towards the boy, giving his chest a forceful punch with both fists. Sig flinched, she certainly had a lot of strength behind it, yet he didn't back off or fight back, just taking blow after blow as Doppel kept punching his chest while tearfully yelling ''hate me!'' at him.

The punches kept coming, Sig could feel his heart beating in his head, it was painful, but he needed to stand his ground. Doppel herself could feel her knuckles start to seriously ache and her strength was starting to give up on her as she used all of it up after dozens of blows. It was only so long until she finally stopped, sobbing and even looking at Sig anymore, her throat was sore after yelling so much and her head felt like it was spinning.

All of the sudden Doppel felt two arms wrap around her waist, looking up to see Sig pull her into a gentle embrace. She didn't fight back, she didn't even know what to do, after all of this he was now hugging her? It had been centuries since she had last gotten to experience this kind of affection, it was something she had craved for so long and Sig was still willing to give it to her. It felt wrong, yet it she couldn't bring herself to break it.

''W-Why are you...''

''I will never hate you and I will do everything to make things work...''

That was it, Doppel couldn't hold it back anymore, she was tired of fighting and not just the other Arle, but also her conflicting feelings. At last she allowed herself to be comforted by Sig, wrapping her arms around him as well and resting her head into his shoulder, softly sobbing into it, letting out the years of misery that had broken her spirit.

Sig kept a loving hold, using one of his hands to gently caress the back of her head, feeling the rapid beat of her broken heart in his chest as she continued to sob and hiccup into his shoulder.

''I'll make things right...that's a promise...''

END


End file.
